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Cleaner and Safer Vehicles

New technologies are transforming the mining and metals industry, making it cleaner and safer.

ICMM’s Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV) initiative brings our members together with many of the world's largest original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in a non-competitive space, to accelerate the development of a new generation of mining vehicles and improve existing ones.

Issue at a Glance

  • This CEO-led initiative is a model of collaboration. Bringing together member companies and OEMs this intiative is building the widespread confidence needed to mobilise the investment needed to accelerate the development of a new generation of mining vehicles, while improving existing technologies.
  • Access to ore is more difficult in mature operations – where deposits are deeper in the ground and grades are declining – requiring more trucks and longer hauling distances for mining vehicles. Mining vehicles account for, on average, 50 per cent (and up to 80 per cent in some cases) of the total direct emissions at a mine (scope 1 emissions).
  • Exposure to diesel exhaust has been linked to negative health effects. Almost all underground mine equipment in service is diesel-powered. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) has been classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO), and exposure to elevated DPM emissions, particularly in underground mining operations, has been linked to negative health effects.
  • Transport and mobile equipment accidents accounted for 30 per cent of fatalities at ICMM operated mines in 2018, the highest cause of fatalities at our member operations. Safe working conditions are a fundamental human right and ICMM members are determined to eliminate collision related fatalities in mining operations.
  • This initiative is of benefit to the entire mining industry and is open to all OEMs who would like to join. If you are a mining equipment manufacturer with a solution we want to hear from you.

Our Priorities

Introduce Greenhouse Gas Emission-Free Surface Mining Vehicles by 2040

There are around 28,000 large mine hauling trucks in operation – collectively emitting over 68 million tonnes of CO2 every year. Electric and hydrogen fuelled trucks offer alternatives to more traditional diesel-powered transportation, and ICMM is working alongside OEMs to promote operational and technological innovation that will enable mining operations to adopt GHG-free surface mining vehicles by 2040. We are doing this by increasing the operational readiness of mine sites to be able to adopt zero-emission solutions at a faster pace, including the enabling infrastructure, capacity building and clean energy procurement.

To help companies start a conversation on how to progress action on promoting operational and technological innovations, a Maturity Framework has been developed to determine an operation’s current and future desired status. These matrials are supported by a knowledge hub with industry case studies and other technical documents that show what good looks like.


Minimise the Operational Impact of Diesel Exhaust by 2025

ICMM members commit to continually improve health and safety. Through the ICSV initiative, members are working in partnership with OEMs to promote operational and technical innovations to minimise the negative impacts of diesel particulate matter in underground mining operations by 2025. To help companies start a conversation on how to progress action on vehicle interaction, a Maturity Framework has been developed by ICMM, with the collaboration of OEMs and other technology providers involved.

To help companies start a conversation on how to progress action on promoting operational and technological innovations, a Maturity Framework has been developed to determine an operation’s current and future desired status. These matrials are supported by a knowledge hub with industry case studies and other technical documents that show what good looks like.


Make Vehicle Collision Avoidance Technology Available to Mining Companies by 2025

In safety, one size doesn't fit all – safe ways of working are built shift by shift, day by day and over time. ICMM members commit to continually improve health and safety performance. This requires leadership, investment and an unwavering commitment to the goal of zero fatalities. As part of ICMM’s collaborative ICSV initiative, members are working in partnership with OEMs to promote collision avoidance technology capable of eliminating fatalities from vehicle interactions to be available to mining companies by 2025. However, technology is not a silver bullet to eliminate collisions, operating discipline is a prerequisite.

To help companies start a conversation on how to progress action on promoting operational and technological innovations, a Maturity Framework has been developed to determine an operation’s current and future desired status. These matrials are supported by a knowledge hub with industry case studies and other technical documents that show what good looks like.

Strategic Partners

The ICSV initiative was launched in October 2018 with 11 OEM partners. Since then, ICMM has continued to raise the profile of the initiative. As of October 2020, the initiative has expanded to include a further eight OEMs, creating a critical mass in terms of market pull.

The OEMs and technology providers currently involved in the ICSV initiative are: 3MEtechBehault MiningCaterpillarCumminsEpirocFuture Digital CommunicationHexagon MiningHitachi Construction MachineryKomatsu LtdLiebherrMacLean EngineeringMiller TechnologiesMTUNerospecNewtraxPBE GroupSandvik Mining and Rock TechnologyTorsaWabtec.